Eleanor Black - Chapter 1

Instructions

Chapter 1 - The letter Hi. It's me, the same Eleanor, 10 years later, sleeping in a bed in a orphanage. My mother had left me on a doorstep just after I had turned one, with a note saying 'Please take care of my daughter, her father is in prison for something he didn't do, and I don't have much time ahead to take care of her. Her name is Eleanor.' And of course Mrs. Brooks (A slim lady with dark brown hair, who was also the foster mother to the six children living here) wasn't going to let a poor child die, so she took me in. "LLLLEEEEEEAHHHHHHHHH" Shouted Hestia, shaking me awake. "Breakfast!" She said in a singsong voice once I opened my eyes. I groan and sit up, then get dressed for breakfast. I come into the kitchen to see Hestia, Sahara, Marina, Gale, Hart, and Mrs. Brooks already eating. "Your turn to get the mail today!" Mrs. Brooks says, gesturing to the calender. Right. Mail day. I dash through the back door and to the mailbox, where I take a moment to breathe some fresh air. Then I reach into the mailbox, and pull out 2 letters. One, an advertisement for a movie, and the second, very peculiar, as it was addressed to me, 'Eleanor Lupin Brooks, Bedroom with a owl on the bedside table, 20A Ocean Avenue.' I took both of them inside, then put the advertisement on the table and ripped my letter open. Hestia and Gale were watching me curiously and I started reading. 'We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on 1 September. We await your owl by no later than 31 July.' I widened my eyes. "Mrs. Brooks?" I say without taking my eyes off the letter. Mrs. Brooks walks over to me, spots the letter, then says "We need to have a discussion." And leads me into my bedroom. We sit down on my bed and Mrs. Brooks asks, "Eleanor, have you ever made anything strange happen?" I count off on my fingers my room suddenly being really cold in the middle of summer, the ants in Hestia's drink bottle when she was being particularly annoying, and the snowy owl that had flown into my bedroom last winter and hadn't gone away since. "Yes." I reply. Mrs. Brooks face looks grim as she says, "I am afraid I have to tell you something Eleanor." "What is it?" "You are a..." "Are a?" "Witch." I gasp. Mrs. Brooks gives me a soft smile. "Well, we better get to Diagon Alley then." Mrs. Brooks says. "Diagon Alley?" I say, confused. "It's a collection of magical shops where every Hogwarts student gets their supplies." Mrs. Brooks answers, with a little sparkle in her eyes. "My sister was a Witch too." She adds. "When are we going to buy this stuff?" I ask nervously. "Today." She answers.